Method and apparatus for treating surfaces



June 15, 1936. c ALVORD I 2,044,557

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING SURFACES Filed Feb. 28 1934 PatentedJune 16, 1936 511D STATES METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING SURFACESApplication February 28, 1934, Serial No. 713,296

5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in methods and apparatus forproducing surfacetreating streams and has particular reference to asystem wherein a cleansing solution is generated and employed as asurface-cleansing agent.

In systems of this character, as exemplified in my co-pendingapplication filed on an even date herewith and bearing Serial Number713,295, it

has been the practice to generate superheated steam and heat a liquidthrough the use of a heat ing unit forming part of the apparatus, and tocombine said steam and heated liquid to form a heated cleansing solutionunder pressure, with the superheated steam being employed as animpelling agent to discharge said solution in the form of an atomizedspray.

According to the present invention, it is proposed to utilize highpressure steam, derived from a suitable source such as a steam boiler,as the heating agent for a fluid which subsequently forms a part of thecleansing solution, and to thereafter efiect the initial admixture ofsaid steam with the heated fluid to provide an impelling agent for thesolution. In other Words, the heated steam performs the dual function ofheating the fluid and acting as an impelling agent therefor when insolution. Further, the present invention contemplates the control of thesupply of high pressure steam as the heating agent in such a manner thatsaid supply will be varied in accordance with fluctuations in thepressure and temperature of the cleansing solution of which the steamultimately forms a part.

The inventive idea involved is capable of receiving a variety ofexpressions, one of which, for purposes of illustration, is shown in theaccompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation, partly broken away and shown in section,of an apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention, and

Figure 2 is an elevation, partly in section, of a valve device employedin connection with the invention.

apparatus.

truck which is designed to support the entire Mounted upon the truck 3is a vertically disposed heating chamber 4 to which water under pressureis supplied through a pipe 5 one end 6 of which extends downwardlythrough the top of the chamber 4 so as to be immersed in the watertherein and the other end of which is provided with a flexible hose 1adapted for connection to a source of supply in which the pressure ispreferably at least 10 pounds. A standard type of pressure-reducingvalve conventionally shown at B is connected to the pipe 5 between thesource of supply and the heating chamber 4 and is adapted to beregulated so that the pressure of the water in the system will bemaintained at about pounds.

The water in the chamber 4 is adapted to be heated to form the fluid orfluids which are subsequently used in making a hot cleansing solutionwhich is adapted to be discharged from the apparatus. The heating ofthis water is accomplished by means of a coil 9 disposed within thechamber 4 and extending the major portion of its length and entirelyimmersed in the water within the chamber so as to thoroughly heat thesame. The upper end of the coil is connected to one end of a feed lineIll the other end of which carries a hose II for connection to a sourceof steam preferably having a pressure of at least '70 pounds. A reducingvalve I2 is interposed in the feed line 10 for the purpose ofmaintaining the high pressure steam within the system at a pressureslightly below that of the water therein, and said valve is alsoautomatically controlled, as will appear in the course of thedescription, to maintain said pressure constant irrespective of anypossible variations in the pressure and temperature of the solutionbeing discharged from the apparatus. The lower end of the coil 9,through which the high pressure steam flows when heating the waterwithin the chamber 4, is connected to a pip-e l2! leading to an atomizergenerally indicated by the numeral I3.. This atomizer is of the typeshown in United States Letters Patent 1,784,222, issued to C. S.Crickmer, on December 9, 1930, and reference is made to said patent fora complete understanding of the construction and operation of thisatomizer. Thus, after heating the water within the chamber 4, the steamwill pass directly to the atomizer l3 where it will be mixed with aportion of the heated fluid generated within the chamber 4, whichportion is led from the lower end of said chamber to the atomizerthrough a pipe [4. In mixing with this heated fluid, the steam combinestherewith to form a hot cleansing liquid and acts as an impelling agenttherefor so as to cause atomization of the liquid within the atomizerand then conveys said liquid in the hose I5 and to the nozzle I6 wherethe liquid is emitted in the form of a spray. The flow of the cleansingliquid through the hose I5 is controlled by a valve IT at the lower endof the atomizer. In the pipe I4 there is provided a check valve I8located adjacent the chamber 4 and adapted to prevent back pressure fromentering said chamber. Between said valve I8 and the atomizer I3 thereis also provided in the pipe I4 a control valve I9 shown in detail inFigure 2. This valve comprises a casing in which the valve seat 28 isnormally engaged by the spring-pressed valve 2I the stem 22 of which hasa handle 23 adapted to be pulled outwardly to unseat the valve 2! whenflushing out the system. The valve seat 25 is provided with a smallorifice 24 which always remains open, even when the valve 2I is seated,so that a certain quantity of the heated fluid flowing through the pipeI4 will enter the atomizer I3. The valve 2| is only unseated when it isdesired to clean out the orifice 24 or flush the detergent from the hoseI5. This is usually accomplished at the conclusion of the operation ofthe machine and when the valve 2I is opened, an excessive amount ofwater will flow through the valve I9 to the atomizer, and thenceoutwardly through said hose to remove any accumulation therefrom.

For the usual cleansing operations, a detergent is mixed with the liquidin the atomizer I3 and, for this purpose, a detergent-containing tank 25is secured to a standard 26 mounted upon the truck 3. This tank isconnected to the upper end of the chamber 4 through a pipe 29 forconveying to said tank the other portion of the heated fluid within saidchamber, this latter portion being of higher temperature than that whichflows from the pipe 6 to the bottom of said chamber and into the pipeI4. The end 27 of the pipe 23 within the tank 25 is extended diagonallydownward into said tank so as to impart a swirling action to the fluidentering the same to more efiectively generate a detergent solutionwhich is fed from the bottom of the tank through a valved pipe 28extending into the upper end of the atomizer I3. A petcock 29 isprovided at the upper end of the tank 25 for relieving pressure withinsaid tank when an additional supply of detergent is put therein throughthe filler opening which is normally closed by the removable plug 39 atthe top of the tank. A pressure gauge 3| is connected to the pipe 29 forindicating the pressure of the fluid flowing through said pipe. Saidpipe is also provided with a globe check valve 32 of standardconstruction utilized to control the flow of heated fluid to the tank 25and to also prevent any back pressure in said tank from returning intothe chamber 4.

In order that the reducing valve I2 may be automatically controlled andmade responsive to any fluctuations in the pressure and temperature ofthe cleansing solution which may occur through a rise or fall of thepressure within the system, there is provided a regulating deviceconsisting of the casing 33 connected to the valve I2 by a yoke 34 andsupported upon the chamber 4. A diaphragm 35 disposed in said casing isresponsive to pressure within a pipe 35 one end of which.

is connected to the bottom of said casing and the other end to the pipeI2 between the casing 4 and atomizer l3, there being a gauge 31 joinedto said pipe 33 for indicating the pressure within the system. Byconnecting the pipe 36 to the pipe I2 which is, in turn, connected tothe pipe I4 at the atomizer I 3, it will be apparent that any variationin the combined pressure of the heated fluid and the high pressure steamat said atomizer will be transmitted to and through said pipe 39.Extending from the diaphragm 35 is the valve stem 38 carrying the valve38 in the valve body l2 and influenced by a coil spring 39 the tensionof which may be adjusted by the nuts 48, this adjustment being made atthe beginning of the operation of the apparatus so as to properlyposition the valve within the body I2 to allow the required amount ofhigh pressure steam to enter the coil 9 and thereby attain the desiredpressure within the system. Thus, with this pressure at about 65 poundsfor example, should there be an increase thereof in the system, with aconsequent increase in the pressure and temperature of the cleansingsolution being discharged, the diaphragm 35 will, by reason of thepressure in pipe 35, be immediately responsive to such increase andoperate to move the valve within the body I2 toward its closed positionto reduce the quantity of steam entering the C011 9 and thuscorrespondingly reducing the pressure and temperature within the system.On the other hand, should there be a decrease in pressure, the spring 39will operate against the diaphragm 35 to force the valve stem 33downwardly and thus permit an added amount of steam to flow into thecoil 9 to build up the pressure to the desired point.

In the operation of the device, the water is first permitted to flowinto the system with the valve I I almost closed and the valve 32completely closed. Water entering the chamber 4 will pass into the pipei4 and through the small orifice 24 in the valve l9 and from thence intothe atomizer. The constriction of the valve l9 causes pressure to bebuilt up on the gauge 3| and the valve 6 is regulated so that saidpressure will be maintained constant. When the desired pressure of Wateris attained the flow entering the hose 1', and controlled by a valve(not shown) in the main supply line, may be temporarily shut off,whereupon the steam pressure is turned on. Steam now enters the coil 9and if the water in the chamber is cold, the steam is condensed andflows into the pipe I2 and from thence through the orifice in theatomizer. However, as the water in the chamber becomes heated by thecoil 9 to a temperature just below the boiling point, it will permitsteam to enter the atomizer through the pipe I2, and as soon as thevolume of steam reaching said atomizer is great enough a pressure willbe built up due to the constricted orifice in said atomizer. Thepressure will be recorded on the gauge 31 and when it has reached thedesired point at about sixty-five pounds, the flow of water is againturned on and the valve I'I opened. Also, if it is desired to form thedetergent solution, the valve 32 is opened and a portion of the water inthe chamber 4 is thus allowed to flow into the tank 25. The system isnow working at normal operating conditions and the heating of the waterin the chamber 4 now proceeds by reason of the passage of the steamthrough the coil 9 where said steam acts as the heating agent. Thehotter fluid in the chamber 4 rises in said chamber and passes into thepipe 26, while the cooler fluid enters the pipe l4 from the bottom ofsaid chamber. At the same time the steam passes from the coil 9 into thepipe l2 and to the atomizer I3 where said steam is initially mixed withthe fluid flowing into the atomizer through the pipe I 4. From thispoint the steam acts as an impelling agent for the solution whichcomprises the fluids flowing from said pipes l2 and I4 and the liquiddetergent from tank 25, the cleansing liquid may be a clear one if thevalve in the pipe 28 is closed to prevent entry of the detergentsolution from the tank 25 into the atomizer. However, when it is desiredto mix the detergent solution with that formed by the heated fluid andsteam, the valve in said pipe 28 is opened and the solution from thetank 25 thereupon flows downwardly into the atomizer through the upperjet therein where it first comes in contact with the high pressure steamentering the chamber formed by said jet. After this mixture passesthrough the lower jet of the atomizer it mixes with the heated fluidentering the latter through the pipe [4. Subsequently the cleansingsolution is atomized in the manner described in the abovementionedpatent to Crickmer, and is thereupon discharged through the hose [5under the influence of the steam impelling agent. Should there be anyvariation of pressure in the steam pipe I2 caused by a change in thevolume or temperature of the water flowing into the system, or that ofthe cleansing substance in the atomizer, such variation is transmittedthrough the pipes l2 and 36 to the regulating device which will operatethe valve l2 to admit more or less steam in accordance with the amountof decrease or increase in said pressure or temperature. When a clearsolution is desired for flushing purposes, as previously suggested, thevalve in the pipe 28 may be closed to stop the further flow of thedetergent solution, and the valve I9 is then fully opened to permit anincreased supply of the fluid through the pipe M and into the atomizer.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of producing a surface treating stream which comprisesheating a fluid by passing steam therethrough without admixture,dissolving a soluble detergent with a portion of said heated fluid ofone temperature to form a detergent solution, utilizing said steam as animpelling agent for said solution, and mixing the other portion of saidheated fluid having a different temperature with said agent andsolution.

2. The method of producing a surface treating stream which comprisesutilizing a heated fluid under pressure to heat a second fluid,dissolving a detergent with a portion of said second fluid of onetemperature to form a detergent solution, mixing the other portion ofsaid second fluid at a lower temperature with said solution, andemploying the first-named fluid as an impelling agent for said mixture.

3. In a surface treating apparatus, a generator comprising a chamber inwhich a fluid is to be heated, a steam coil immersed in the fluid withinsaid chamber, means to supply steam to said coil to heat said fluid,separate outlets from said chamber through which pass different portionsof the heated fluid at different temperatures, a mixing device connectedto one of said outlets and to said coil, and a detergent tank connectedto the other outlet and to said mixing device.

4. In a surface treating apparatus, a generator comprising a chamber inwhich a fluid is to be heated, a. steam coil immersed in the fluidwithin said chamber, means to supply steam to said coil to heat saidfluid, separate outlets from said chamber through which pass differentportions of the heated fluid at different temperatures, a mixing deviceconnected to one of said outlets and to said coil, a detergent tankconnected to the other outlet and to said mixing device, and a regulatorconnecting said mixing device with said steam supply means andresponsive to variations in pressure in said device for controlling theflow of steam to said coil.

5. In a surface treating system, a generator, means to heat a fluidtherein, means to supply a heating fluid having variable pressures tosaid heating means, a device connected to said generator and saidheating means for receiving said fluids therefrom and having means toinitially mix the same, and means responsive to variations in pressureof said heating fluid to alter the supply thereof to said heating means.

CLAYTON I-I. ALVORD.

